The Super Bowl has become a major food occasion. Football fan or not, everyone gets into the spirit of The Big Game Party. It falls far enough from the Christmas/New Year entertaining season to make a food centric celebration welcome. Gone is the overstuffed holiday feeling and New Year's resolve is weakening. Most importantly, it's been some time since there has been a reason to party.

And party we do. Watching the game has become a social occasion to gather with friends at home or at a busy restaurant with plenty of TVs. It's good to have some fans on either side of the contest as long as they're not too partisan on behalf of their team. Some rivalry adds spice to the day.

More than 80,000 will be at Metlife Stadium to watch the game under the (chilly) open sky. An anticipated 108 million will watch on TV, most of them at a party enjoying delicious snacks, good company and the benefits of the TV camera's close-ups and instant replays.

Unlike the World Series, which can last almost two weeks, or the March Madness basketball tournament, which seems to last forever, the Super Bowl is a one-day event. Yes, there's lots of lead up, which is the very definition of hype, but you know it will be over by bedtime and life will move on. So it's a perfect occasion to get together, eat, drink and watch the game, probably in that order. I've been to lots of Super Bowl parties where the crowd at the buffet is bigger than the spectators in front of the TV.

Since Google is the measure of life in the 21st century, I searched for Super Bowl food and got an astounding 579,000,000 results (yes, six zeros). It really is a food event and a big one. By contrast, a search for Thanksgiving food, an important food holiday if there ever was one, yielded only 448,000,000 results. A respectable number to be sure, but 131 million less than the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Party Food got 245 million hits while Thanksgiving Menu returned only 117 million. You can see where this is going. The Super Bowl is a big deal for eating.

Finger foods and snacks are the preferred style. In order to stay in touch with the game, the food needs to be portable and self service -- there's no time to sit down and eat. Dips, wings, nachos, sandwiches and the like fill the bill. I find this kind of food irresistible -- the little bites just keep on coming. Don't serve anything that will be a problem if it hits the carpet because of a controversial call by the refs.

Guacamole has been a Super Bowl mainstay since the big game tradition began. Do you think the game was intentionally scheduled for avocado season? The hardest part is to have the avocados ripe on the day. After that it's an easy recipe with many variations. Guacamole should be chunky with plenty of lime and enough heat to keep consumption under control. Guacamole recipes, by the way, get 7,380,000 Google results -- a pretty hefty number.

Hearty soups or chili are great to bring out at halftime. They can be crock-pot easy -- started well in advance and ready to serve on a flexible schedule. No need to worry about game-induced spills here. The commercials don't generate that kind of excitement.

Desserts are part of the party, too. After the half, bring out the cookies, brownies, bars, and other bite size sweets.

Healthy eating doesn't seem to be a big part of the tradition. Yes, you can put out a tray of fresh veggies, a flavorful hummus, or herbed popcorn, but don't expect them to be the big winners. The Super Bowl is an excuse for some food indulgence.

Beverage choices start with beer. It's fine to serve the beers that you'll see in the halftime ads, but some local craft beers are a good idea too, New England Brewing or Two Roads Brewery, for example. Variety is the key here. Let there be several to try and inspire some discussion about what's in the bottle.

Wine is necessary and welcome -- red and white, boldly flavored like a zinfandel or an oaky chardonnay, nothing too fancy. Hard ciders are an up-and-coming category and very refreshing with the snacks. Throw a few of those in the mix too, such as a crisp Angry Orchard. If the weather stays cold, a pot of mulled cider warming on the stove will spread an enticing aroma all through the party and taste good to boot.

Enjoy the Super Bowl, both the food and the game. Try not to overheat, as I will surely do. And may the best team win!

Frank Whitman's Not Bread Alone runs Thursdays in The Hour. He may be reached at notbreadalonefw@gmail.com